A Volcanoes + National Park visit tour by Hawaii Forest and Trail. Back to all Big Island tours.
Tour Summary: An in-depth volcano experience on the Island of Hawaiʻi! National park certified guides share a mix of natural and cultural history about the island's formation, illuminating the stories behind the ever-changing landscape of our island home. Hawaii Forest & Trail’s Volcano Tour, journeys through Hawaii Island’s incredible range of ecosystems and climate zones before experiencing first-hand the phenomena that makes it all possible – an erupting volcano. This in-depth experience takes you off-the-beaten path to sites unknown to many visitors.
Large photoStay after dark to see Kilauea’s latest eruption light up the night sky. Credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
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The last stop on this tour is at a crater overlook where you will be able to see the glow and possible the active lava lake (weather and lava conditions permitting). Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
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Drive off-road to a private lava tube known for its bright yellow and gold microbial mats living on and accenting the cave walls. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
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Lava tubes can become otherworldly places. The cave you will visit has expansive rooms and an “upside down” forest of roots hanging from the cave ceiling. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
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Enjoy 2-3 miles of hiking around the park’s most dynamic terrain. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
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Learn how lava fields get colonized by the local plants. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
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Learn how lava fields get colonized by the local plants. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
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The tour guides are expert natural interpreters, and will teach you many interesting things about the volcanoes. Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
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The last stop on this tour is at a crater overlook where you will be able to see the glow and possible the active lava lake (weather and lava conditions permitting). Image credit: Hawaii Forest & Trail
Tour Highlights:
- On this in-depth park experience, your interpretive guide will illuminate the historic events that recently changed the landscape of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park forever.
- Stand at the edge of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater and catch glimpses of the molten lava lake inside while its glow lights up the night’s sky.
- Get up close and personal with volcanic formations such as lava tubes, steam vents & craters
- Enjoy 2-3 miles of hiking around the park’s most dynamic terrain
- Drive off-road to a private lava tube known for its bright yellow and gold microbial mats living on and accenting the cave walls. This lava tube is only accessible to Hawaii Forest & Trail guests
- Enjoy late afternoon pupu (appetizers) on the farm surrounding our exclusive lava tube, and a stop at world-famous Rainbow Falls in Hilo.
Important: Bring comfortable walking shoes, long pants, and a light jacket. Guests should be able to hike on uneven or rocky terrain (2 to 3 miles total hiking).
Tour Information:
| Price: | Adult | Youth |
|---|---|---|
| (excluding taxes & fees) | $265 | $240 |
Tour Provider: Hawaii Forest and Trail
Activity: Volcanoes + National Park visit
Tour start time: 08:50am
Duration: 10-12 hours
Departure from: Kailua Kona
Pick-up available? Yes! Trips depart from Kona with pickups in Waikoloa. More details available during the booking process during the "Where are you staying" step.
Included: Breakfast snacks, beverages, lunch, afternoon appetizers, National Park and private lava tube entrance fees, and water, are included.
Cancellations: Cancellations: Customers will receive a full refund with 24 hours notice of cancellation. Private tours: Customers will receive a full refund with 72 hours notice of cancellation. Cancellations within the cancellation period and “no-shows” will be charged the FULL AMOUNT of the tour.
Read more: about volcanoes on the Love Big Island website in our volcanoes guide.
Private Option Available: Volcano Unveiled is also available as an “Ohana Outing”. This private option is tailored to small to mid-sized parties who would like a private experience but do not necessarily need all the “bell & whistles” of a fully customized private tour, and is priced at $1,760 for up to 4 people and $195 for additional guests. Maximum of 8 guests per van.
Book as an Ohana Outing
Now includes a visit to the eruption!
Kīlauea Volcano began erupting again January 5th 2023. Visitors can stand at the edge of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater and catch glimpses of the molten lava lake inside while its glow lights up the night’s sky.
Tour summary
The most in-depth volcano experience on the Island of Hawaii is back! Learn about the natural and cultural history of the volcanoes and about the island’s formation. A National Park Certified Guide will share a mix of illuminating the stories behind the ever-changing landscape of our island home during this 12 hour tour exclusively focused on volcanoes.
After a convenient pickup from select hotels on the Kona and Waikoloa coast you take a scenic drive on Saddle Road to the famous Hawaii Volcanoes National park for exploration and lunch. In the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park you visit the Kilauea Crater which was dramatically transformed in 2018 by the recent lava flows towards Fissure 8 and violent seismic activity in the area. This tour includes 2-3 miles of hiking around the park to explore on foot and get up close to the volcanic landscape. Your guide will explain what happened to the park and what it was like before it was forced to close in April 2018.
You will also explore the private Kauhi cave, a magical lava tube with ceilings as high as 35 feet known for its bright yellow and gold microbial mats living on and accenting the cave walls, and finish with a pau hana (Hawaiian for “happy hour”) featuring locally-sourced appetizers.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You will hike for 2-3 miles at a location determined by park conditions that day.
Yes! Kīlauea Volcano began erupting again January 5th 2023. Visitors can stand at the edge of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater and catch glimpses of the molten lava lake inside while its glow lights up the night’s sky.
Hawaii Forest & Trail is a highly respected local tour company that has operated on the Big Island since 1993. They have gained access to private and restricted lands and are widely recognized as a tour company that has passionate and knowledgeable interpretative guides, all of which translates into consistent stellar reviews from their past guests.
Hawaii Forest & Trail is fully certified by the Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawai’i. This means that their tours are eco-friendly, culturally educational and operate as sustainable as possible.
Knowledgeable Staff
The HFT staff are picked to have strong academic backgrounds in biology, geology, Hawaiian culture and history, and extensive natural history field experience. It’s not enough for the guides to simply “know things”, they must also have a real passion for Hawaii’s natural world and enthusiasm for sharing it.
Giving back to the community
The vision of Hawaii Forest & Trail is to share the splendor of Hawai’i and inspire a deep connection with our natural world. They donate a small amount ($1 per guest) to a fund that makes donations to non-profit organizations whose mission and work aligns with at least one of the following criteria:
- benefits the conservation of Hawaii’s native ecosystems, species and landscapes.
- promulgates the understanding and practice of Hawaiian culture and the dissemination and understanding of Hawaii’s natural and cultural history.
- promotes and facilitates an appreciation and interaction with nature, especially programs that are youth oriented.
It is the intent of the fund to give preference to entities who are based or whose work is performed in the communities where they operate tours.
The Health and safety of our staff and guests are a top priority at Hawaii Forest & Trail. Although the risk of COVID-19 can not be eliminated, we have taken the following steps to mitigate these risks:
Guest Protocols:
Hawaii Forest & Trail has implemented new Health and Safety Policies based on guidance and requirements by the State of Hawaii and CDC. The following requirements will need to be met in order to join us:
- At this time face masks are not required to participate. However, masks are available for guests.
- Guests agree to follow guide instructions regarding masks and social distancing.
- Guest time in the van has been shrunk wherever possible. Pickups closer to tour destinations have been added and encouraged.
- Additional options for private family experiences have been added at a reduced rate.
Staff Protocols
- All vehicles and gear are sanitized following every tour using commercial sanitizing equipment with CDC approved sanitizers.
- Protocols to reduce contact between employees have been put in place.
We are affiliate partners with Hawaii Forest and Trail meaning that we receive a percentage for each successful booking made through our website. This happens without any additional charge to you! (read more on the use of those links on our website here).
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